Tools for teachers

Ultimate Guide to Weather and Climate Resources
Guide to Online Schools

This is website is a portal to dozens of resources designed for kids, teens, educators and college students about both climate change and weather. From here you can connect to resources from nearby and around the globe!

Provincial resources for teachers and schools

BC Green Games

BC Green Games is a province-wide competition for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12, designed to motivate action, enable sharing and reward and celebrate the green efforts of schools in BC. Enter to win! Over $22,000 in prize money will be awarded.

Keep Cool!
DreamRider Theatre Productions

Greater Vancouver's Environmental Education Theatre Company delivers a 45 minute Keep Cool play about climate change to elementary school audiences in Metro Vancouver. In their trademark zany and fun style, “Keep Cool!” teaches kids what they can do to reduce their energy consumption and minimize their “carbon footprint”.  Kids will learn about positive actions they can take to offset climate change, specifically teaching them ways they can reduce carbon gas emissions. Download their free activity book. Check out their other plays related to recycling, litter and water conservation. You can also watch DreamRider's "The World is Ready" video on YouTube.

Climate Change Showdown
BC Sustainable Energy Association

This program educates grade 5/6 students on climate change with a multimedia presentation and by playing the Climate Change Game. It then challenges them and their families to reduce energy use in the Climate Change Showdown take-home activity. Kids can win prizes and class parties based on the amount of greenhouse gases reduced. The program also meets planned learning outcomes identified by the Ministry of Education.

Climate Change and Sustainability Workshops
Check your Head

What is climate change? What causes it? What is our part? From light bulbs to consumerism to global shipping to global inequities, these workshops look at the complex issues surrounding climate change and how we can make a meaningful difference.

Destination Conservation
Pacific Resource Conservation Society

dcPlanet is an innovative school-based conservation program where students, teachers, school district staff and utility companies interact to initiate environmental education and conservation activities. Conserve energy and resources in your school.

Green Bricks program for Grade 10 students
Green Bricks Education Society

This free program engages secondary school students to understand the importance and benefits of sustainable building issues in their schools and communities and empower them to make change. There are 3 components to Green Bricks:  an interactive classroom presentation; a PLO-linked learning resource; and the exciting Green Bricks Student Challenge.  Green Bricks supports the BC Ministry of Education's learning outcomes. 

Power Smart
BC Hydro

BC Hydro's Power Smart program provides curricula and activities tailored for all grades. Teachers can find information and links to engaging and fun, energy efficiency school curricula.

• Energy Detectives (K-3)
• Energy Campaigns (4-7)
• Energy Ambassadors (9-12)

Walking the Talk
BC Working Group on Sustainability Education

This is an online gathering place for people from all over BC with an interest in sustainability education. It's all about sharing resources, finding out what people are doing and how they're learning from each other.

Cool Vancouver News
One Day Vancouver

This resource for adult learners explains what climate change is, how it affects us and what we can do to fight climate change. Cool Vancouver News has accompanying instructor's notes with classroom activities and exercises.

Hub for Action on School Transportation Emissions Project (HASTE)
The Environmental Education Action Program Society

HASTE is a new project that supports schools and their communities taking action on reducing transportation emissions in British Columbia. It's an online resource and networking centre, designed to help students, teachers and schools improve the health of individuals, communities and the environment.

Vancouver resources for schools

One Day One School (ODOS)
City of Vancouver

Currently, five elementary schools are participating in phase two of the ODOS pilot program. This program is working to reduce greenhouse gases, vehicle traffic and congestion around schools by encouraging students, parents and school staff to walk and cycle. By reducing barriers and making walking and cycling to school a fun activity, we can make Vancouver the healthiest, cleanest, greenest city in the world. ODOS provides additional resources, collaborates with other existing City and private programs and coordinates the implementation at the schools.

Workshop: How big is my footprint?
Footprints Conservation Society

Footprints Conservation Society offers educational programs for children to further the awareness of environmental issues. Their programs are designed as fun, interactive lessons that provide children with information and support to make educated choices about how they affect their environment and provide them with the tools to create a healthier lifestyle for themselves and future generations. The footprint workshop runs approximately 45 minutes.

Unclaimed Bicycle Donation Program
PEDAL

The Unclaimed Bicycle Donation Program provides an opportunity to distribute unclaimed used bicycles from the Vancouver Police Department to organizations like the VSB, VACC and BEST, for cycling education and skills training.  This program will work in conjunction with the ODOS student bicycle skills training program to encourage additional cycling to school.   For more information, contact PEDAL.

National resources for teachers and schools

Free Educational Resources for Educators
Environment Canada

Find resources to help you bring climate change and the environment into your classroom or into the activities of your scout, naturalist or youth group.

Active and Safe Routes to School

This site provides resources, tools, information and links for schools and communities to create their own unique Active & Safe Routes to School program. Schools can choose to implement walking activities to school or at school, through fun and innovative actions like the IWALK Club.

Clean Energy Classrooms

Your one-stop resource portal to training & education options in Canadian sustainable energy brought to you by the BC Sustainable Energy Association. 

International resources

Earth Hour

Raise your students' awareness of how energy use and daily activities can affect the future of the planet and how they can slow climate change. Earth Hour Kids web site has lesson plans for grades K-2, 3-6, 6-8 and 9-12 that will help you deliver this important message in your classroom.

iwalk

International Walk to School organizes Walk to School Month each October which gives children, parents, school teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the many benefits of walking. Their site provides resources to help make your event a success.

Climate Change Education.org

This is a portal web site dedicated to global warming and climate change education. It features links to K-12 education programs as well as videos and other media related to our climate.